Mom Announces Daughter is 50 Days Cut Free After Moving Gesture from WNBA Player
Editor’s Note: This article mentions self-harm.
Kalendra Thompson had been searching for ways to help her daughter feel better through the teen’s mental health challenges.
For the past two years, the 13-year-old had cut to cope with her struggles.
Thompson didn’t know that one WNBA interaction would help turn things around.
When the Las Vegas Aces visited the Atlanta Dream for a game in early June, Thompson was in attendance. She asked Aces guard Kelsey Plum to greet her daughter Carrington on camera.
Carrington has not cut since the day she saw that video, Thompson said.
Grab your tissue 🤧 🥹 — we know she’ll never forget this @Kelseyplum10 ♥️🔥
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— Made for the W (@madeforthew) July 16, 2023
The 13-year-old softball player doesn’t know much about basketball, but she is exposed to the WNBA at home. Carrington became a big fan of Plum, the 2017 first-round overall league pick.
“When Vegas came to play Atlanta, I let Kelsey know that my little girl was like in love with her,” Thompson said in a Made for the W interview earlier this week. “She fell in love with Kelsey Plum for whatever reason, so at that particular game, I got Kelsey to say hi to her on camera. What Kelsey didn’t know is that my little girl struggles with depression and anxiety. So for the past two years, she struggled with just being alive.”
Thompson said Carrington watches Plum’s video to her multiple times a day. During her video interview with MW, Thompson shared that her daughter had been cut-free for 50 days.
Since that day that Kelsey did that video for her, she literally plays it 10 times a day, and she has not cut since that day.
Plum had previously dealt with her own personal struggles.
The 2022 WNBA champion suffered from anxiety, depression and heavy suicidal thoughts. She took antidepressants and sleeping pills to cope.
“I got to tell Kelsey thank you for that this weekend and as a show of her affection for my little girl, she gave her her shoes,” Thompson said about Plum’s gesture. “Her birthday’s in two weeks on the 27th, so Happy Birthday, Carrington. I love you and I pray that you continue to feel better and know that you have value in this world and just like Kelsey Plum overcame her mental health challenges, I know you can, too.”